Elfling At War: Taking The Blame
by SivanShemesh
Summary: The second fic in the series. Gollum has escaped, and the prince is taking all the blame as he explains in the council the incident that occurred in his home.


Title: Elfling At War: Taking The Blame 1/1

Series: Elfling At War

Author: Sivan Shemesh

Beta: nautika

Rating: K+

Warning: Angst, violence. OOC in case.

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Tolkien, I just borrowed them.

Spoiler: **Total AU**. FOTR.

Summary: Gollum has escaped, and the prince is taking all the blame as he explains in the council the incident that occurred in his home.

Note: The **second** fic in the series.

Note2: Legolas is a mere elfling, not yet an adult.

**Imladris**

_Week later…_

Aragorn stood on the balcony of his father's room, his eyes were moving from side to side, and then gazing over to the point where most guests seemed to enter.

'Was it? No… is this… Legolas?' his mind worked as he noticed blond hair flowing in the wind.

Then Aragorn hurried to his father to let him know that guests had arrived.

"Adar…" Aragorn called in excitement barely noticing that his father talked with two other lords.

"Aragorn, what is it?" Elrond turned to the man as he asked.

"Guests have come, I believe that Legolas is amongst them." Aragorn replied his eyes were sparkled with excitement.

"Are you certain?" Elrond asked.

"I think that _he is_ amongst them, and Adar," Aragorn replied his eyes were still locked on the elf, he continued, "We need to know what happened with the creature. He was their responsibility."

"Have all the guests arrived?" Elrond asked him while his mind thought of what he should do.

"Aye, and we should let Legolas be part of, the council, I want him to know, to be there. I do not wish him to return as he has just arrived, and I think he should know what faces us." Aragorn answered as he kept staring at his Adar.

"Aye, you are right, ion," Elrond nodded at him, and then he added with a sigh, "Then what are we waiting for? Let us welcome the guests, and if I remember the letter from Thranduil correctly then the princeling did not even rest." Elrond remarked Aragorn as they both walked over the garden to welcome those who arrive.

Princeling of Mirkwood had arrived in Imladris guided very closely by his new guards who seemed afraid he would get hurt.

"Your Highness we are here." Galdor informed the princeling.

Princeling Legolas said nothing only nodded and then he dismounted from his horse. The guards did as well.

"You may go now, rest." The princeling weakly ordered his guards.

The guards watched him as they were torn; should they leave the princeling? Or should they join him, making certain that he was all right?

"Go… you need to rest…" the guards heard him. They sighed heavily and left their princeling.

Legolas saw as the Mirkwood guards were led by Imladris' guards to a room to take some rest and proper food.

The Princeling was not in a hurry to rest as he walked to search for the Lord of Imladris himself. He needed to inform him about Gollum's escape and about his failure and hope that Elrond could forgive him for what had happened.

The tiredness from the ride seemed to catch up to him as his walking been grew slower and slower.

Elrond and Aragorn watched him worriedly as he walked over. They went to meet him and helped him before he collapsed in their hands.

"Aragorn, help me with him, he needs to rest, we will talk later… he must be worn out." Elrond suggested as both of them walked over to the healing room, to place the prince into a comfy bed.

_EAW: TTB_

**Later on… **

Aragorn stayed near the prince's bed, waiting for him to awaken and smile again.

He heard moans, and let know Elrond about it.

Elrond checked the prince once more, to make sure that the prince was indeed all right, though he suspected that mentally, there must be a storm inside the prince's mind.

"Princeling? How do you feel?" Elrond asked with concern.

Legolas try to sit up on the bed, but seemed that he was more exhausted than he thought.

"I guess that he is tired, Adar." Aragorn grinned at his Adar.

"Let him rest the whole day long, because tomorrow, I want the all details of what happened and of how they lost this creature." Elrond said in a demanding voice as he felt the need to find answers to as yet unanswered questions.

_EAW: TTB_

**Next day… **

Aragorn walked to the healing room and knocked on the door. He heard 'come in' and opened the door.

"How do you feel?" Aragorn asked with a soft smile.

Legolas only nodded at him. He knew that losing the creature was all fault.

"Come Elrond is outside, with the council…" Aragorn started to say, but after seeing the color leaving Legolas's face, he hesitated.

'Council? Why should Elrond call a council?' Legolas wondered in fear, hoped that no one knows that he lost the creature, him and no one else.

"Legolas?" Aragorn called to his friend.

Princeling Legolas turned to look at his friend as dread filled his body. He feared the council would blame him and humiliate him.

"I am coming." Legolas tried to say it aloud, but only a shaken answer came from his mouth.

Aragorn kept his eyes on his friend who seemed to need to sit down, and might need more rest, or some food.

Noticed the steps that his friend did as he walked, he asked with worry, "Are you all right, mellon-nin?"

Legolas considered saying he was ready to face what ever Lord Elrond would say, ready to meet his doom, but instead he answered, "I am fine, mellon. Let us go, they are waiting for us."

Still Aragorn's eyes scanned his friend's face, and said nothing.

_EAW: TTB_

**At the council **

Princeling Legolas sat with his guards, taking glimpses of the surrounding presences. He knew that he was also being watched as could felt the hard glares that came from both dwarves and men.

Lord Elrond could see how tense was princeling Legolas, as he shifted his positions on the chair.

Lord Elrond stood, and then he turned to Princeling Legolas as he asked him, "Do you wish to share with us something, Prince Legolas?"

Legolas swallowed hard, and then he rose to his feet, nodded at the lord, he started to speak.

"I…was guarding Sméagol, the creature that the ranger brought… and…" the princeling answer was hesitant as he dreaded saying it, and then he decided just announce in one sentence and let them condemn him, "Sméagol, who is now called Gollum, has escaped…"

Aragorn cut him off. Legolas could sense the accusation in the man's voice, "Escape?"

Legolas nodded and then he lowered his head, as he tried to swallow the tears to keep them from falling down.

"You should not let Mirkwood be in charge of anything." Glóin groaned over the elfling and then he stared at Lord Elrond.

"Saes, do not blame my family for this, master dwarf, when he was under **my hands** and _I was the one that lost him_. I and no other." Legolas lifts his head and stared at the dwarf.

Then he looked at Lord Elrond, and asked, "Now if everything is settled, my lord, may I leave this council to attend to what ever business you had in mind?"

"Nay, no one is leaving the council, as the fate of Middle-Earth now lay in our hands." Lord Elrond looked at him, rather glaring at him.

Legolas noticed the glare that the lord gave him and said nothing, knowing it was his fault, but not knowing why Elrond would want him to stay in the council.

Legolas's mind was else where as he thought of his home, not knowing what happened around him in the council.

Lord Elrond voice though caught his attention as he heard, "And I shall have my choice that will go to the Quest amongst the elves."

And then Lord Elrond went to his room, leaving the council members staring at each other.

**The End!**

**Next on the Series: Elfling At War: The Council of Elrond**


End file.
